Nozaleda then made advances
towards Father Sevilla, and endeavoured to cajole him by the offer of
an appointment, which he repeatedly refused. Rome, for the time being,
had overruled the question of the benefices contrary to Nozaleda's
wish. For the moment there was nothing further for the Philippine
clergy to defend, but in their general interests Father Sevilla,
their spokesman, elected to remain in an independent position until
after the retirement of Monsignor Chapelle, when Father Sevilla became
parish priest of Hagonoy (Bulacan).

The outcome of the controversy respecting the benefices was that the
friars could be sent to those parishes where the people were willing to
receive them, without danger of giving rise to public disorder. This
was in accordance with President McKinley's Instructions to the Taft
Commission dated April 7, 1900, [272] which says: "No form of religion
and no minister of religion shall be forced upon any community or
upon any citizen of the Islands."

Archbishop Nozaleda left for Spain, but did not relinquish his
archbishopric until June, 1903. [273] In his absence his office was
administered by Father Martin Garcia Alcocer, the Spanish bishop
of Cebu, whilst the bishopric of Cebu was left in charge of a
popular Chinese half-caste secular priest, Father Singson, [274] who
subsequently became vicar of Cebu on the appointment of an American
prelate, Father Hendrichs, to the bishopric.

In the matter of the _Friars' lands_, it was apparently impossible
to arrive at any settlement with the friars themselves. The purchase
of their estates was recommended by the Insular Government, and the
Congress at Washington favourably entertained that proposal. In many
places the tenants refused to pay rent to the friars, who then put
forward the extraordinary suggestion that the Government should send
an armed force to coerce the tenants. The Government at once refused
to do this, pointing out that the ordinary courts were open to them
the same as to all citizens. Truly the friars found themselves in a
dilemma. By the rules of their Order they could not sue in a court of
law; but under the Spanish Government, which was always subservient
to their will, they had been able to obtain redress by force. Under
the American Government these immunities and privileges ceased.

In 1902 the Civil Governor of the Philippines, Mr. W. H. Taft, visited
the United States, and on May 9 in that year he was commissioned
b